It is well known in the art to use a variety of tool belts to hold hand tools and power tools. The power tools, especially the drill, can add substantial weight. It is not uncommon for a standard tool belt to weigh up to 70 pounds with all the tools in it. All of this weight resting on the hips can cause back problems for the wearer.
Another problem with standard tool belts is that it can be hard to get the power tools in and out of the belt with only one hand. It is not uncommon to be holding a board in place with one and to need a drill to attach the board. It is also very common for the drill not to get put back in the tool belt when finished because the drill is hard to get back in the tool belt. This can lead to the drill or other power tool getting knocked over, which can lead to damaged or broken tools. All of these problems are amplified while working on a ladder.
It is desirable to have the weight of the power tool off of the hips and situated so that the tool can be accessed with only one hand. It is also desirable to have a safety line attached to the tool so that the tool will not hit the ground if knocked over. The present invention solves these problems with a shoulder strap having a hip level clip in addition to a tether for catching a dropped tool.
A number of patents have addressed shoulder harness for a variety of objects. Some are listed below.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,660,740 (1928) to Bailey discloses a hanger with a strap to go around the neck. It is adjustable and has an open hanger.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,441,115 (1948) to Lambert discloses a shoulder harness with a clip. The harness goes over both shoulders and around the chest.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,273,136 (1942) to Orech et al. discloses a hanger with a strap to go around the neck. It is adjustable and has an open hanger.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,718,988 (1955) to Potts discloses a shoulder harness with hangers off both shoulders.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,915,233 (1959) to Moomaw discloses a gun shoulder harness. The harness is adjustable with an open hook.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,366,293 (1966) to Fyke discloses a guitar strap which goes around the neck and is adjustable with an open hook.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,862,709 (1975) to Roshaven discloses a cable holder with a shoulder strap and a hook to hold the strap at the belt of the wearer.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,963,156 (1976) to Perrrin discloses a waist mounted, gun cradle with two open hooks to hold the gun.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,498,613 (1985) to Donahue discloses a shoulder harness with a lanyard to hold a baby bottle or baby toy. The lanyard has an elastic loop for attachment of the items.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,768,689 (1988) to Davis discloses a shoulder sling with a hook on each end of a strap.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,773,577 (1988) to Mikula discloses a shoulder sling for a fire ax.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,016,797 (1991) to Rowledge discloses a shoulder harness which goes over both shoulders with two hooks in front. The hooks are slidably attached to the shoulder straps so the article does not have to be unhooked to be brought up to the user's face.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,246,154 (1993) to Adams et al. discloses an adjustable shoulder sling for a gun or bow. The article attaches to the harness with a loop and hook system.
None of these inventions is adapted to use as a harness for power tools that is easy to use and safe.